When a Nightmare becomes a Night terror
by The Italian
Summary: Slight AU. October 10th, the day of infamy. In the aftermath of the Fox's rampage, Uzumaki Naruto is kidnapped by a powerful missing Nin. For years he is used for methods of torture and experimentation. Waiting for the opportunity to escape and fulfill a promise he made while in captivity. To meet with a girl from a village named Konoha. Well, might as well start with a name. N/H


**Konohagakure…**

 **You see that?**

 **Isn't the brain an amazing organ in the body?**

 **As soon as our brains have processed a word we have heard before, it makes its move.**

 **Just how fast is it?**

 **How fast is your brain working? To answer that question, we need to look at just three variables:**

 **How many neurons we have.**

 **How fast neurons fire.**

 **How many cells each neuron connects to.**

 **Neurons are nerve cells that process and transmit electrochemical signals. Like a little lightning bolt transmitter/receiver/processor. The human brain has about 100 billion of them.**

 **Each neurons fires (on average) about 200 times per second. And each neuron connects to about 1,000 other neurons. So... every time each neuron fires a signal, 1,000 other neurons get that information.**

 **Let's multiply:**

 **100 billion neurons**

 **x**

 **200 firings per second**

 **x**

 **1,000 connections each**

 **20,000,000,000,000,000 bits of info transmitted per second**

 **Think about that:**

 **20 million billion bits of information move around your brain every second.**

 **In that one second, to any shinobi or civilian. They instantly had visions, scents, and even descriptions of the previously stated words.**

 **Each description though is not the same, isn't that the beauty of humanity? The art of individuality. To an ally of Konohagakure a few descriptions for example would be Lovely and peaceful.**

 **Lovely. The forest surrounding the village hidden in the leaves was nothing short of luscious. The trees were as green as they could possibly be during the days of spring. There wasn't just one type of tree. Some grew leaves which held types of healing benefactors essential to the main hospital, others grew just for the opportunity of being put in a wide variety of foods and finally a small variety held within them a toxin just used perfectly for the ANBU assassin department. Although it didn't just stop at the substances growing from the top, but what was produced in the bark. It's impossible to explain to someone who has never set foot in Konohagakure, but, the air felt different. Ask any of those that work in the shinobi ranks, those that on occasion leave their village to carry out a mission tasked by the Hokage. Once they return, the relaxation process begins. Having been in enemy territory, one must be on high alert at all times, thus closing off any opening for the enemy to strike. This could be frazzling even to the higher ranked Jonin, as continuous days of never letting your guard down gets to everyone eventually. Once the shinobi of Konoha reenter the gates, their nerves are calmed significantly, they smell that air and know at last they are home, they are safe.**

 **Peaceful. If anyone went around asking about the last time Konohagakure was under attack, the only person to give you an answer worth noting would be the current Hokage. Konoha hadn't had to suffer any form of attack from foreign villagers, thus allowing the economy and trading between friendly villages to prosper. The peace in between the walls of Konoha seemed like a dream to villages stuck in the middle of the carnage, villages like Sunagakure. Yep, it was a real life to leave if you were born into the village hidden in the leaves.**

 **Those descriptions seemed to flow through the allies, but what of the enemies. Since the dawn of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, Iwagakure had almost been solely created to rival those of Konohagakure. The Shinobi World Wars were never nice to those who fought Konoha, Iwagakure included.**

 **A few descriptions from most likely Iwagakure Nin are powerful and deadly.**

 **Powerful. How do you think Konoha earned all this peace? Do you think it was free? Given to them on a silver platter? No, no, no you see just because a powerful missing Nin promises you power to overcome adversaries, doesn't mean he won't want something in return. Hundreds upon thousands died, in skirmishes, land disputes and World Wars to protect the even remotely possible thought of peace in the Shinobi world. Though there are always those few that always come back home, those that always finish the mission, those that train to destroy their opponents and those that do all of the things mentioned earlier just to protect their precious people. Konohagakure has plenty of those.**

 **Deadly. So many. Killed, slashed, broken, thrashed, maimed, poisoned, burned, crushed etc. Konoha never fucked around in the history of the village. Each Hokage had a backbone bigger than the previous and because of this the villages that challenged them, never received any mercy. And each generation the clans working with Konohagakure would produce Shinobi stronger than the last. How was a village supposed to go up against Konoha when they have bloodlines out the ass? Either way the fights never stopped or did the deaths, as even Konoha Nin were not invincible, they could be taken down.**

 **Now I know what you are all thinking at the moment.**

 **What does any of this have to do with anything?**

 **What does this mean for the story?**

 **Why did he have to be a prick and use science bullshit to explain a point?**

 **All wonderful questions, except for the science I used, I find it people tend to pay closer attention when big numbers/words are used. I know I do.**

 **The brain never truly forgets. It's even said after death, the brain can still send electrical currents. A radical once thought that these memories could be captured and displayed on a Television screen like a slideshow movie.**

 **Getting off topic again.**

 **These 4 descriptions can never be forgotten, but they can be changed to a certain degree. A clean slate of the brain if you'd like to sum it up in that way. Helping us to remove certain tidbits, for a time, of course. Making way for new memories.**

 **We all know the beautiful Konohagakure in these 4 descriptions. But what were to happen if for one day it was shown in a different light. The story of what happened on October the 10th, of what could've happened on that fateful night, the Shinobi world changed. For better or worse, no one truly knows yet. As all hold their breath and pray to see a fortuitous outcome.**

 **You think the life of Uzumaki Naruto was one of true nightmares? Tsk, tsk, tsk my dear readers. I wish you good health if you choose to follow me.**

 **Follow me on the adventure where one Uzumaki Naruto learns what it means to fight for his life. What it truly means to be a shinobi in this War torn world. And which means more, his own life or the lives of those around him.**

 **It starts now.**

 _ **(*8*)**_

 _'Breathe… Breathe… Breathe.'_

"I-I need to get to Kushina." A majority of the time Nin from the village would be able to recognize this voice. It held utter confidence in one self and when times called for it an edge of anger, usually reserved for scolding his former team and when helping out during an interrogation. Now the voice held none of those perks, all it sounded like was someone in distress.

The Yellow flash of Konoha to his enemies, Yondaime Hokage to his subordinates and Minato Namikaze to his precious people. Tried to regain not only his wits and chakra but the lack of air that was currently giving his lungs a drought. Leaning an arm against a dead tree, Minato expanded the range of his hearing. Praying to kami that Hiruzen was nearby, the time he had left on this earth was coming to a near.

The whispers, they just kept assaulting his ears. They kept calling for him, kept telling him he was welcome to join the dead. That he would be in high regards to Lord Shinigami himself, someone of his stature and achievements would satiate the lord of death.

Minato smirked when his head rolled to the side and his eyes got a quick glance of the Lord of Death himself. A translucent gaunt specter with a demonic visage levitated behind him. It is much larger than an average human, possessing long, shaggy white hair, from which two red horns protrude, and purple colored skin. It was draped in a large white garments and was carrying a set of prayer beads. Its mouth was gaped open, showing off the jagged spiked teeth and serpent like tongue. He looked like a very happy man right now.

Minato could literally see his soul being dragged from his body, about halfway until he joins those that were forced to use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal and the people they used it on.

The Yondaime Hokage knew dwelling on his upcoming death was probably bad for his health, but, most people right now would be freaking out beyond compare at just the sight of the Shinigami. To give himself credit he was doing good taking this all in.

A red spark caught the corner of his eye, pushing a small branch away from his face, he saw something that gave him thoughts of giving everything up. Konohagakure, his home, the village he swore to protect was in flames.

Not a single building was unfazed from the attack. Buildings were demolished, houses imploded from the exposure of too much flames and with a long smell the once peaceful air filled with the scents of different flowers was gone. Replaced now with the smell of burning corpses and blood. The village hidden in the leaves, in just one night, was destroyed.

Was anyone still alive? The forest was quiet. The usual sounds of birds chirping to each other as they flew from tree to tree and survived to live another day, was no longer. Even the fighting his lower ranked shinobi went through with even though he told them to fall back had gone deathly quiet a long time ago, meaning the worst.

The only hope Konohagakure had was if the genin teams had followed orders and helped escort the civilians to the underground bunkers. As long as someone from the village survived, then Konoha wasn't truly dead. But, Minato knew deep down they might as well be. Word traveled fast in the Five Great Nations and the utter annihilation of the shinobi ranks would travel fast, especially to their enemies. If this reached the Tsuchikage in Iwa then the army would be here in the next few days.

Either way. Minato continued on deeper into the once beautiful forest, knowing exactly where his wife would be. Hopefully.

Travelling deeper and deeper, the only thing that met his eyes was more destruction. A small battle scene crossed his path. Three shinobi of his ranks laid on the ground, no doubt dead as their bodies all laid in inhuman positions. Two men and a woman, on closer inspection Minato could make out one of their faces, the other two were intertwined and burned to a crisp.

This man, he recognized him! It was Klein! They studied in the same class back at the academy. He too had red hair which was always scrunched under his goggles, just like how it was currently. Just like Kushina he had received the same teasing from the other classmates if not more. The poor fool had red eyes, from his mother, which got him the nickname _'The Devil'_. Klein wasn't as radical as Kushina was about bullies back then, instead of beating the crap out of them, Klein trained harder and harder to get everyone to like and respect him. Eventually he became skilled with broadswords, until he became the best swordsman in Konohagakure.

Just recently Klein had become one of his top Jonin, not to mention he started a family. Now that family was missing a husband, Minato heard around the town that his wife had finally gotten pregnant, meaning he was leaving a child behind. Life is tough. It reminded Minato that any moment he would be taken from his son as most likely Kushina would, no one survived through what she went through not long ago. His son, Naruto, would be without the loving care he so rightfully deserved. It made Minato's heart clench like a vice at the mere thought of his beloved new born becoming an orphan. Minato paid his respect quickly, trying so hard to not look at the organs falling onto the ground as the bottom half of Klein was missing. He continued his search for the love of his life, trying so hard to get the thoughts of leaving his son to this world alone.

All of this destruction and death, caused by one demon. The Nine Tailed Fox. One of 9 powerful monsters of the Shinobi world. Their origins, lost in the books of history. What wasn't lost was the power mentioned earlier.

The Nine Tailed Fox was known to be the strongest of the lot. As tall as a mountain, enough strength and killer intent to bring down a dozen Kages in their prime. Minato could say without a doubt a good 7 or 8 exact copies of him would have made most shinobi armies sully their attire, but, in the eyes of the Fox. He was just more humans to end brutally.

All of a sudden… globs of spit crashed against the lower part of his chin. This unknown surprise attack caught the mighty Yellow Flash off guard as his foot got caught up in an uprooted tree stem. The lack of chakra forced him to instead twist his body and land like a brick onto his damaged back rather than Hiraishin to safety. Ash from burnt trees elevated into the air as the source was disturbed by the mass of Yondaime Hokage.

Almost immediately Minato crossed his arms over each other, protecting the bundle he held in his hand from the toxic air. The Ash left almost as fast as it came, Minato got a few good coughs out and looked down his chest to see the culprit of that little misstep.

Blue Cerulean eyes stared into another pair of Blue Cerulean eyes, Minato couldn't stop the smile that graced his lips. He felt his free hand move on its own as he began to stroke his baby boy's cheek, much to the enjoyment and amusement of the newborn. Minato could see his son wholeheartedly interested in his fingers and decided to let him divulge in his curiosity.

"Not even a day old and you're already pulling some sort of stunt on me eh? Naruto?"

Namikaze Naruto giggled slightly as at last he caught his father's pointer finger. Little Naruto's eyes seemed to get bigger as he examined the strange appendage.

"Oh man." Minato felt the pain in his back, did he land on a rock? Holding on tightly to his prized joy, he got back on his feet. "You're just like your wonderful mother, I think you'll like her and I have no doubts she'll take a liking to you. I gotta get my turn in while I can before she decides to keep you for herself, your mommy has never been good with sharing in the first place. Know what I mean?"

Minato stepped over another downed tree and looked down at Naruto once more. The day old was still trying his hardest to figure out the human appendage, and an even bigger question was why did he expect some sort of answer back or even a confirmation. Minato shook his head and cleared some ash from his blonde hair, man, the Shinigami was doing some messed up things to his psyche before taking him down.

After a few more minutes of tree maneuvering, finger tugging and the big bad Yellow Flash giving his son kisses on the forehead. At last Minato came to the same clearing he was in a few hours ago, and instantly another two pairs of eyes connected.

"Mi-Minato!"

Leaning against a boulder that definitely wasn't in that spot a few hours ago was the red hot habanero herself. Minato could see the bruises and scratches covering his wife's face, spots of blood dripping down her arms and forehead. His mind was racing as he took in the state Kushina was in and with the injuries he could see so far, that hole he dug himself in, full of failure and self-hatred was getting deeper by the second.

"Kushina, it's all over now my love." Minato started to walk forward. He could see his lovers eyes glued to the white cloth cradled in his arms, holding their baby, her baby she hadn't had any time with. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes as she moved her gaze from her son to her husband.

"You used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal didn't you? The Fox is in our son." Minato's walking faltered slightly as he prayed to Kami the one he loved the most in the world wasn't angry with him. His time was coming to an end in this world and the last thing he wanted was too part ways in this world on a bad note. "I can see the Shinigami, Minato."

People said a smile could ease the tension before a conversation, Minato tried for a small one, the smirk he knew Kushina loved. But it just wouldn't come and after a tense 30 seconds of nothing but silence, tears fell from the Yondaime Hokage. "It was the only thing I could do to stop the Fox's rampage, I made a promise on the day I became the Hokage, and I would give my life to protect Konoha. Only this time I needed some help from a very strong and very cute hero."

Minato looked down just in time to see Naruto smile, he lived long enough to see his son's first smile. What more could he ask for at these dire times? "Naruto is the real savior of Konohagakure and I can only hope others see him like that. A hero that stopped the Fox demon from destroying everything."

Kushina felt warmth fill her cold body from just hearing Minato talk about their son. These two precious people in front of her made her final moments much better. "If you don't mind Minato, I think I'd like to hold my son."

Locking eyes again, Minato examined every inch of Kushina's face, looking for the expressions he expected to see at first. Disgust for sealing a powerful demon inside the body of their newborn infant and hatred for using the forbidden technique she continuously told him to never use/forget about. Anything that consisted of hating him was something he was kind of hoping for, in all honesty. Minato didn't know if doing this to his own flesh and blood was a good idea, making him bear a big responsibility from the day he's born. Maybe there was a way for him to destroy the Nine Tailed Fox, re-using several combination Jutsu's with the boss toad may have given him some better options. But no, instead he sealed the monster and for all intents and purposes became the world's worst dad, at least to him.

But instead he only saw love and compassion spilling forth from his wife. And through the years of them being together he could tell when she was faking something, especially emotions. Right now she was being true, looking into his eyes with the same love she had on their wedding day. She wasn't looking away from him in disgust like he thought she would. Holding her hands out for her first and most likely last child. And who was Minato to separate a mother from her newborn son, maybe, just for a few moments they could make some family moments before the end.

 _'Snap'_

Rigorous training kicked in as Minato turned to the source of disturbance, only to feel a cool steel blade passing through the armor on his chest, piercing his skin and protruding from his back. Minato could only gasp and feel blood rise into his esophagus before being coughed out onto the assailant's shirt.

"I hold my hygiene in high regards Lord 4th, I'd appreciate it if you didn't get your putrid blood on my new robes."

Minato couldn't believe he didn't hear the man in the surroundings, he was sure he had his senses expanded at least a mile or two. The only real explanation was his low chakra, it must have made the ring he created shrink to a small size. Either way, the man currently stabbing him, is a man who once pledged his allegiance to Konohagakure. He hadn't been seen for years, staying in hiding from ANBU squads sent to hunt him down, he chose the perfect day to come out of hiding.

"O-O-Orochimaru." The snake Sannin smiled deviously as he twisted the broadsword in the current Hokage's chest, earning delicious moans of pain. Looking at the man who stole what was rightfully his, the seat of Hokage, dying in front of his eyes gave him a sense of euphoria. His stupid sensei was no professor, if he was truly smart then he would've picked him for Hokage, not this softy.

"MINATO!"

"I see the village has taken a rather brutal thrashing, I always knew you couldn't protect Konoha. That idiot Hiruzen wrote the death bill the day he chose you as his successor." Orochimaru continued to ignore the shouts coming from the red haired banshee. Instead he looked down at the arms of the Yellow Flash.

Minato followed the gaze of the snake bastard in front of him and felt for the first time in a long time, fear overtook every fiber of his body. "Y-You can forget i-it snake teme, you'll have to pry my son from my cold dead hands."

Orochimaru looked back up at Minato before he started to laugh right into the man's face. "Oh Minato, that's exactly what I plan to do you idiotic blonde."

The hand that was holding Minato in place, tilted up slightly, allowing exit for a snake. Minato was now shaking as he tried to call upon chakra from his reserves just to get away from Orochimaru. Some chakra began to fuel his coils, but, it was all for naught.

A quick pinch on the side of the neck and instantly the warmth of his building chakra, fled. His vision became hazy, His bones felt like jelly and he no longer felt the pain of the Shinigami trying to take his soul. It was like every part of his body shut down, nothing seemed to coincide with what he was trying to do. Was this how it felt to be helpless? If so Minato hated it.

The sound of blood splatter made Kushina's anger boil to new heights as she watched the sword exit Minato's body. Minato felt weightless, he took a step back, then another and one more until his body could no longer stand. He fell backwards and on the way down his peripheral vision caught Kushina, her mouth wide open, screaming for him most likely.

This wasn't how Minato wanted to go. All he wanted was a peaceful life with his family, a life both he and Kushina were robbed of at a young age. The two of them worked, harder than anyone ever could have and after all their success in the shinobi ranks. It was time to settle down in a house they could afford and begin the new chapters of their lives. Watching their son grow up in front of their eyes. The first day he crawled, to his first steps and oh the first words. Music to parent's ears, there was already a bet going between Kushina and himself over if their child would say 'mama' or 'papa' first. Continuing on to his first day at the academy, before long his first mission, chunin exams, hopefully Jonin exams and along the way find love. Starting the whole cycle all over again, while the two of them would watch closely hoping to never miss any of it.

Minato couldn't catch a break, after all the obstacles he overcame in his life, he was going to die in the middle of the woods. _'Forgive me Kushina, I failed.'_

The body of the Yondaime Hokage hit the dirt floor with a resounding 'thud.' His soulless eyes would be burned into the retinas of Kushina for however much longer she lived. Her entire life, killed and laid out like a rag doll right in front of her eyes. The only man that stuck with her through the dog days. She knew she was very emotional during her later days in her pregnancy. Most men couldn't handle her personality when she was normal. Kushina could get angry real fast, hold a grudge and especially very jealous. No girl was allowed to look at Minato the way she did, he was hers and hers alone. Minato is the man she wanted to start a family with and nothing got in her way whenever she truly wanted something.

In one minute he was killed, looking up at the murderer as she noticed something was missing from Minato's arms, fury began to build up. "Orochimaru! You keep your disgusting scales off my son, or I'll fucking end you, you, y-you murderer!

Orochimaru smiled at the face of the young and carefree face of Namikaze Naruto. His hands traveled down towards the stomach and just as he brushed over the soft skin, a seal appeared so complicated it would make most sealing experts scratch their heads in confusion.

A wicked smile made Kushina try and stand, she didn't care if the releasing of the Fox made her weaker than a civilian. She couldn't sit here and watch the snake teme play with her son, the only thing that would connect her to Minato.

"I wouldn't try that Kushina-chan, we both know if you move you'll basically sentence your life to death."

She successfully propped herself up against the rock. Sweat rolling down her face as well as blood pouring from her legs. "Don't worry so much Kushina-chan, I'm only going to use your precious boy for a few experiments I couldn't conduct on regular people."

"You are a monster!" Kushina bellowed back. Chakra beginning to mold, she was going to kill this traitor.

"Oh that is such a mediocre response. I'll have you know I'm conducting research that could prove vital to the future of the Shinobi world. Your son could really be a hero, or do you not believe in the last words your husband spoke?"

Kushina's response was to scream and unleash her final attack. A gold chain emerged from her hands and went in a slashing motion, hoping to cut his arm off, as well as his head. But, the monster known as Orochimaru continued his scarring.

A baby, the only baby in the surrounding area began screaming. Screaming so loud the two adults winced as they realized what just happened. The chain Kushina shot forward was dodged and instead of taking the arm of Orochimaru, it took the right hand of her baby boy.

Kushina fell to her knees in shock and unbelief. Laying on the floor was the hand of her son, blood staining not only the dirt, but her psyche. What had she done? She should've realized that her son could've been harmed in that attack. It was, it was the rage. She was full of so much rage, Kushina had to avenge her husband and save her son, but at what cost now?

"Shit, fuck, you dumb bitch! What have you done?"

Swirling leaves stood in the place Orochimaru once stood.

Kushina didn't know how long she sat there for as all she could think about was everything that just happened. Her family was taken once more, one was killed and the other was taken forcibly, more than likely dead now.

"Kushina!"

She was on her back now, opening her eyes, the third Hokage kneeled before her as several ANBU and medics stood around them in a circle. She was cold, the breeze and her injuries were really getting to her now.

"Hi-Hiruzen. Minato i-is d-dead." Kushina could see the grim emotion overtake the old man's face. Kushina knew how much her husband and the third Hokage enjoyed each other's company, much like Jiraya, they were all inseparable from each other.

"I know, the medic said he took a snake bite to the neck-."

"Orochimaru killed him!" the field grew silent, murmurs of disbelief and heartbreak spread throughout the group around her. Hiruzen had no words to say, once again his decision to spare his student came back to bite him in the ass. Orochimaru took another precious one from him, the pain was starting to become unbearable. "Hiruzen, please c-come here."

Hiruzen obeyed without hesitation and leaned his ear in. By the end of Kushina's confession her body limped back to the ground, non-moving. The third Hokage looked down in shock, how could this happen? This was almost as worse as the Fox itself destroying the village, the power that has just been kidnapped is ill-conceived.

Not just that, the child of these two, brave shinobi. Sacrificed everything they once held dear and died for their village. And even their child, young Naruto, has to go through the mistakes he made in the past? Absolutely fucking not.

"I want every able body shinobi to head for our borders and secure them. I want them so tight that even a bug can't get through without me knowing. Orochimaru, ex-Sannin of Konohagakure, is to be captured or killed on sight. And the baby boy of the Yondaime Hokage is to be returned to the village alive and unharmed. Am I clear?"

"Yes Sir Hokage."

The ANBU guards disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Hiruzen never wanted to hear himself be called Hokage ever again. He gave Minato the hat, knowing that he would be the successor Konohagakure needed. Now he found himself in this dire situation, the infant of the Yellow Flash has been kidnapped.

He would search the entire Shinobi Nations looking for Naruto. Never would he stop, until death would claim him and the second successor he chooses would continue the search if it unfortunately came to that end.

Either way, Konohagakure was going to go under a large change, starting now the search would begin.

 _ **(*8*)**_


End file.
